Day Tour from ParisFontainebleau and Vaux-le-Vicomte Day Trip from Paris
The Fontainebleau and Vaux-le-Vicomte day trip packs two châteaux into ten hours with a driver-guide and an air-conditioned minivan. Blue Fox Travel caps the group at 8, buys skip-the-line entry to both museums for you and drives you out of Paris without a single train change. At $252.28 per person it sits at the upper end of the day tours from Paris, so the honest question is what the price buys over doing one château yourself by train. This page sets out what is included, what the day feels like stop by stop, who the format rules out, and when the train from Gare de Lyon is the better plan. Compare it with every other listing in the day tours from Paris comparison before you book.
About This Tour
Blue Fox Travel runs this ten-hour day in an air-conditioned minivan of up to 8, with a driver-guide who covers the history en route. The first stop is Vaux-le-Vicomte, the château whose gardens gave France the formal French garden, followed by Fontainebleau, home to more than seven centuries of kings and emperors. Entrance to the museums at both châteaux is in the price, with skip-the-line access.
The tour meets outside 6 Avenue de Wagram in the 17th arrondissement, at the café La Flamme, 15 minutes before departure. It runs in all weather and finishes back at the same address around 7 PM depending on traffic. Food and gratuities are not included, and the minimum age is 7.
$252.28 per person, listed on Viator
10 hours, returning to Paris around 7 PM depending on traffic
Outside 6 Avenue de Wagram, 75017 Paris (café La Flamme), 15 minutes before the start
Air-conditioned minivan with a driver-guide, group of 8 at most
Entrance to the museums at both châteaux with skip-the-line access is included. Food and gratuities are extra
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure for a full refund
Check Dates and Availability
Check live dates and seats on the booking calendar. The group is capped at 8, so spots go quickly in high season.
You'll confirm the exact date and time on the secure booking page.
Quick answer The short version
This Fontainebleau and Vaux-le-Vicomte day trip costs $252.28, lasts 10 hours and includes skip-the-line entry to both châteaux in a minivan of up to 8 with a driver-guide.
Key takeaways
- Minimum age is 7 and food is not included, so budget for lunch in Fontainebleau and skip this one with younger children, or see day tour from Paris instead
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure, and the tour runs in all weather
- Alone, Fontainebleau is an easy train day from Gare de Lyon with €17 château entry, see day trips from Paris by train
- For a cheaper single-château option, compare the Versailles Palace and Gardens Tour by Train
What the Price Actually Covers
At $252.28 per person this is one of the dearer listings among day tours from Paris, so it is worth knowing exactly where the money goes. The inclusions come from the operator's own listing.
What Is in the Price
The listing includes transport by air-conditioned minivan, a driver-guide, entrance to the museums at both châteaux and guaranteed skip-the-line access. The group is capped at 8. Tours run rain or shine and start sharp at the appointed time, and the operator warns there is no way to catch up once the group has left.
The two entry tickets do real work in the price. The Vaux-le-Vicomte château and gardens ticket is €18 for day visits in season, and the Château de Fontainebleau ticket alone is €17 full rate for the Grands Appartements and the Napoleon I Museum.
| Line | In the price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Minivan transport | Yes | Air-conditioned, group of 8 at most |
| Driver-guide | Yes | English, covers the history between stops |
| Vaux-le-Vicomte museum entry | Yes | Skip-the-line access, ticket is €18 for château and gardens if bought alone |
| Fontainebleau museum entry | Yes | Skip-the-line access, ticket is €17 full rate if bought alone |
| Lunch | No | You eat at your own cost in Fontainebleau |
| Gratuities | No | Not included |
| Hotel pickup | No | You meet at Avenue de Wagram |
What You May Pay on the Day
Lunch is a 60-minute stop in the town of Fontainebleau at one of its cafés or bakeries, and the price of the meal is yours. Drinks are not covered at any point. Gratuities for the driver-guide are not included in the listing price.
There are no mandatory extras stated. If you want to add the gardens beyond what entry covers, note that Fontainebleau's park and gardens are free every day, so no extra ticket is needed there.
- Lunch in Fontainebleau, at your own cost
- Drinks during the day
- Tips for the driver-guide
- Nothing else is stated as a mandatory extra
Sources: Château de Fontainebleau, Vaux-le-Vicomte
The formal gardens of Vaux-le-Vicomte were designed by André Le Nôtre for Nicolas Fouquet before he went on to Versailles. Photo: Jean-Pol GRANDMONT, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
What the Day Is Really Like
The listing gives stop durations rather than clock times, with one fixed point: the return at Avenue de Wagram around 7 PM. Here is the day in the order the operator runs it.
Meeting and the Drive Out
You meet your driver-guide outside 6 Avenue de Wagram, at the café La Flamme, 15 minutes before the start. The grey minibus arrives about 10 to 15 minutes before departure and tours leave sharp, because there is no way of catching up once the group has gone. From there it is a drive out of Paris to Vaux-le-Vicomte.
Neither the drive time nor the departure time is stated in the listing.
- Meeting point: outside 6 Avenue de Wagram, 75017 Paris
- Be there 15 minutes before the official departure
- Return to the same address around 7 PM depending on traffic
Vaux-le-Vicomte Château, 90 Minutes
The château was built for Nicolas Fouquet, Louis XIV's Minister of Finance, who united architect Louis Le Vau, painter Charles Le Brun and gardener André Le Nôtre to create what the listing calls the most splendid castle and gardens in France of its day. This is where the formal French garden was born. The TV series Versailles was filmed here.
The visit inside the museum lasts 90 minutes with skip-the-line entry.
- 90 minutes on site
- Built for Nicolas Fouquet under Louis XIV
- Filming location for the TV series Versailles
The Gardens of Le Nôtre, 30 Minutes
A second stop of 30 minutes covers the French gardens designed by André Le Nôtre. They cover 100 acres, which is enough space to feel the scale of the design without walking every alley. Wear shoes you are happy to walk gravel in, because the tour runs in all weather.
- 30 minutes in the gardens
- Designed by André Le Nôtre
- 100 acres of formal French garden
A Photo Stop on the Way
Between the two châteaux the minivan stops for about 5 minutes outside a medieval castle on the route to Fontainebleau. It is a picture stop from the vehicle, not a visit. The listing does not name the castle.
- 5-minute photo stop outside
- No entry, no interior visit
Lunch in Fontainebleau, 60 Minutes
You eat in the town of Fontainebleau at one of its cafés or bakeries, and lunch is not included in the tour price. One hour is enough for a sit-down meal if you order promptly, though groups of 8 split up and find their own tables. This is the one meal of the day, so plan for it.
- 60 minutes for lunch
- Cafés and bakeries in the town
- Lunch price not included
Château De Fontainebleau, 90 Minutes
The last visit is 90 minutes inside one of the biggest palaces in France, where seven centuries of kings and emperors lived and governed. Your museum entrance with skip-the-line access covers the interior. The driver-guide covers the history, and the listing does not promise a guided tour inside the rooms.
Note the château is closed on Tuesdays, so check your date before booking.
- 90 minutes on site
- Skip-the-line museum entry included
- Closed on Tuesdays
Maincy, France: Vaux-le-Vicomte
Vaux-le-Vicomte, the château and garden that came before Versailles. Third-party video by Rick Steves' Europe. We did not shoot it and have no relationship with the creator.
Who This Tour Rules Out
The format is honest about its limits, and a few of them are hard lines. Check this list before you book.
Families with Children Under 7
The minimum age is 7, so babies, toddlers and most six-year-olds cannot join. If you are travelling with younger children, a self-guided train day is easier, or look at free day trips from Paris by train where nobody checks ages at the door of a minivan.
- Minimum age 7, no exceptions stated
Travellers Who Want a Lie-in or Hotel Pickup
There is no hotel pickup or drop-off. You make your own way to Avenue de Wagram in the 17th arrondissement and be there 15 minutes early. If your hotel is across the river, that is a real commute before a long day.
Travellers who want door-to-door service should look at other day tours from Paris and accept that very few listings include pickup either.
- No hotel pickup or drop-off
- Fixed meeting point, fixed start, no joining late
Anyone Who Cannot Spare Ten Hours
The day runs 10 hours and ends around 7 PM depending on traffic. Add the time to reach the meeting point and it is a long day on your feet, with two château visits and 100 acres of garden. If a full day out is too much, the Giverny Half-Day Trip from Paris comes back in far less time.
- 10 hours in total
- Runs rain or shine, so pack for the forecast
Tuesday Travellers
The Château de Fontainebleau is closed on Tuesdays, so the second half of this itinerary cannot run as described that day. Book any other day of the week.
- Avoid Tuesdays
Could You Do It Without a Tour?
Yes for Fontainebleau, partly for Vaux-le-Vicomte. Here is how the train version compares.
Fontainebleau by Train Is Easy
Trains for Fontainebleau leave Paris Gare de Lyon for Fontainebleau-Avon station, running from 06:19 to 00:49 every day, and a bus from the station goes to the château stop. The château itself costs €17 full rate, needs about 2 hours for a self-guided visit, and the park and gardens are free every day. It is closed on Tuesdays.
Mainline SNCF fares are dynamic, so no single fare is quoted here, but this is one of the simplest château days from Paris. Our guide to day trips from Paris by train covers it in detail.
- Gare de Lyon to Fontainebleau-Avon, trains from 06:19 to 00:49 daily
- Then a bus from the station to the château stop
- €17 full rate, about 2 hours for a self-guided visit
- Park and gardens free, château closed Tuesdays
Vaux-le-Vicomte by Train Is the Hard Part
Vaux-le-Vicomte has no station. The château's own site points to RER line R from Gare de Lyon to Melun, about 25 minutes, then a shuttle from Avenue Gallieni opposite Café de la Gare that requires booking, or a taxi from Melun at about €18 to €20 by day. Full-price entry for château and gardens is €18, it opens daily 10:00 to 17:30 in season and it closes on a few set days.
Doable, but with two connections each way it eats time.
- RER R to Melun, about 25 minutes
- Bookable shuttle from Melun, or a taxi at about €18 to €20
- €18 for château and gardens, daily 10:00 to 17:30 in season
So What Is the Tour Actually Selling?
The tour earns its price on logistics: two châteaux in one day with no timetable stress, no shuttle booking and no taxi hunt, plus a driver-guide who handles the history and skip-the-line entry at both. If you only care about Fontainebleau, take the train and keep the change. If you want both châteaux without driving and have no car, the minivan is genuinely the smooth way.
And if the region suits you over several days, the 2 day trip from Paris and 3 day trip from Paris guides spread the châteaux out properly.
- Two châteaux, one day, zero connections
- Skip-the-line entry at both sites
- Driver-guide commentary in English
The Day Stop by Stop
The listing states durations and one clock time, the return around 7 PM. Everything else is a phase of the day.
-
Early morning
Meet at Avenue de Wagram
Arrive outside 6 Avenue de Wagram, at the café La Flamme, 15 minutes before departure. The grey minibus waits there and the tour leaves sharp.
-
Morning
Drive to Vaux-le-Vicomte
Ride out of Paris in the air-conditioned minivan while the driver-guide sets up the story of Fouquet and Louis XIV. The drive time is not stated.
-
Morning
Vaux-le-Vicomte château
90 minutes inside the château built by Le Vau, Le Brun and Le Nôtre for the king's Minister of Finance, with skip-the-line entry included.
-
Midday
The French gardens
30 minutes in the 100-acre gardens where the formal French garden was born. Gravel paths and open sky, in any weather.
-
Midday
Photo stop
A 5-minute stop outside a medieval castle on the way to Fontainebleau, pictures from outside only.
-
Afternoon
Lunch in Fontainebleau
60 minutes in the town at a café or bakery of your choice. Lunch is not included in the price.
-
Afternoon
Château de Fontainebleau
90 minutes in one of the biggest palaces in France, home to seven centuries of kings and emperors. Skip-the-line museum entry included.
-
Evening
Back to Paris
The minivan returns to 6 Avenue de Wagram around 7 PM depending on traffic.
Pros and Cons
What works, what grates, and who should book something else.
What we genuinely like
- Two châteaux in one day with no train changes, shuttle bookings or taxis
- Skip-the-line museum entry at both châteaux is in the $252.28 price
- Group of 8 at most in an air-conditioned minivan, so no coach queues
- English-speaking driver-guide who covers the history between stops
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure
The honest downsides
- At $252.28 it costs more than most single-château tours and far more than the train
- Lunch and gratuities are extra, so the real day costs more than the ticket
- No hotel pickup, and the Avenue de Wagram meeting point can be far from your hotel
- 90 minutes inside each château is a fast visit for sites this size
- Minimum age 7 rules out families with younger children
- Fontainebleau château is closed on Tuesdays
Who it's NOT for: Anyone under 7, anyone on a budget, and anyone who wants a guided tour inside the rooms rather than commentary on the road.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does the Fontainebleau and Vaux-le-Vicomte day trip cost?
The listed price is $252.28 per person on Viator, and it covers transport, a driver-guide and skip-the-line entry to both châteaux. Lunch and tips are extra. For context on other formats, see the comparison of day tours from Paris.
How long does the tour last?
It runs 10 hours, from the meeting outside 6 Avenue de Wagram 15 minutes before departure to the return at the same address around 7 PM depending on traffic. That is a full day, unlike the shorter Versailles Palace and Gardens Tour by Train.
Is food included?
No. Lunch is a 60-minute stop in the town of Fontainebleau at your own cost, and drinks and gratuities are not included either. The same applies on Blue Fox's Champagne Day Trip from Paris, where you buy your own lunch.
Can I bring young children?
The minimum age is 7, so younger children cannot join. With kids, a self-guided train day is simpler, and our guide to day trips from Paris by train lists several family-friendly options.
Can I visit both châteaux by train instead?
Fontainebleau is easy, with trains from Gare de Lyon to Fontainebleau-Avon and a bus to the château stop, entry at €17. Vaux-le-Vicomte needs RER R to Melun plus a bookable shuttle or a taxi at about €18 to €20. The train-only option suits free day trips from Paris where one site per day is the goal.
What is the cancellation policy?
Cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure for a full refund. Inside 24 hours there is no refund for any reason, and the tour runs rain or shine. The same 24-hour rule applies to the Versailles Bike Tour with Palace Entry.
When should I not book this tour?
Not on Tuesdays, because the Château de Fontainebleau is closed that day. Also think twice if you want a slow, deep visit, since each château gets 90 minutes and the tour cannot wait for stragglers.
Prices, availability and terms are set by the operator and confirmed at checkout.
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